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How do you keep from getting discouraged?

Aug 4, 2010

    1. I stopped looking at them, even thinking of them, for many years. I looked at them a lot when I was in high school, and just out of... Around the age of 19 I stopped even thinking about them, and completely forgot about them until last month when I thought "what was that cool site with the awesome dolls... e... eloots... eluts..." and remembered everything... and decided to go doll crazy and get a few. :) So, yeah. Taking a break can so be refreshing, because you get so excited later on when you remember how beautiful and intricate these are.
       
    2. What I do which has helped me a lot is something quite simple. I've found great joy in collecting pictures of different wigs, eyes, clothes and whatever else byou want for your doll, as well as studying what others have done to the sculpt. you will develop your own sense of where you want to go with your own doll. I find that this keeps the inspiration alive. good luck to you!
       
    3. Like Smaug, I, too, live vicariously, but through other people's pictures. I love browsing the galleries here and on Flickr and deviantart. It gives me ideas for my own dolls as well as just seeing the talents of others.
       
    4. A) I took a break. I just decided not to look at them until I had the money. People were asking me if I was still even interested in dolls. It was a good way to get a feel for how serious I was? It is expensive and I needed to be sure I was ready to spend that kind of cash. I thought if I stopped looking at them for a while and was just an interested later then it would be a good sign that I could take the plunge without regretting it.


      B) I also got very serious and started listing things on eBay that I wouldn't have listed otherwise. I'd look at my old computer and think... do I NEED this? I would like a doll and I have a newer computer, so why am I keeping this around? I started obsessing about making money and making the money happen so I could get the doll. I am a housewife currently and (though I have looked for work) I don't have a job and no separate income. So..... selling my old things (read: Sailor Moon stuff) I didn't need was the perfect way to come up with serious cash without dipping into our income.

      C) DoA posting helps fill the void. I loved shopping around and looking at everyone's dolls- especially the incoming ones and box opening pics. It makes everything better and I wound up buying a doll that is completely different from my first choice. I think I made a better decision because of the people here at DoA and all the research I did.

      The money was easier to get once I had mentally committed to the idea and I was seriously driven. I am currently waiting for VolksSD13 Rinon to arrive. Good luck saving- it makes actually buying the doll that much sweeter.
       
    5. I only get discouraged when I take my doll out and get bullied for it. I look like a completely normal person other than the fact I'm carrying a miniature man XD
       
    6. 1) Taking a break can be good.
      When you first discover the hobby it's really easy to get wrapped up in how beautiful everything is, and then you'll want to buy nearly all the models you see. If you obsess over them, you might make an impulse purchase, and then you may find that you *really* wanted that other model whose manufacturer you didn't know about, or you're sad because your doll doesn't have enough wigs or dresses...it's easy to get a case of the give-me's. It's good to have something to get excited about, and something to look forward to saving for, especially when you're constantly pouring money into things that you don't want to spend money on, like lab fees or classes or whatever. If you just want a doll for sake of having a doll and at this point you don't really care which one, it's probably not the best time to invest, especially if you'll have to skimp on meals or bills because of your doll. I would recommend keeping an interest so you have something to look forward to, but try to avoid going on websites where you directly purchase them. Instead try focusing on some of the forums where people show what they have done with their own dolls, that aren't the manufacturer photographs. It might help you decide what you want to get. You also might find that realistically, you wouldn't be great a face-ups for a while if you look at a lot of people's first attempts, or you might find from looking at photos that you like certain bodies better because of certain joints. I would also highly recommend waiting until you get the chance to see the dolls in person at a doll meet-up before you go back to the shopping sites; you may find that a mold you thought you loved doesn't have a great color or weight resin, or that you don't really like the bodies of a certain brand that you didn't notice in the manufacturer photographs after seeing (and optimally holding) someone else's doll.

      2) Consider going piecemeal.
      It depends which model and size you're really in love with. If you don't know, I would wait. In my experience if you "settle" for something cheaper just because it was cheaper, you'll still want the original one you fell in love with, and end up wasting more money. If you want a larger doll that has a higher price tag, you may want to consider that some manufacturers sell individual heads and bodies. It might be good to start with a head model that you really like, which might only be $100-200 to start with, and then you can practice face-ups without having to shell out the $500 price tag, and then saving up for the body later on. It's something to think about. I guess it also depends on how creepy you think individual heads lying around your room are.

      3)When I bought my first BJD, it was because I stumbled across a Volks showroom while studying abroad in Japan, and since I had been collecting traditional 日本人形 (you know, those geisha or maiko dolls dressed in kimonos), I thought it would be fun to get a more modern-style doll to offset my collection, which is how I ended up with a Volks SD13 Mimi. So I guess that originally, I was looking for diversity.

      Since I learned about the wider world of Den of Angels, I also bought a floating Silvia head from Iplehouse to practice doing face-ups on, because the thought of messing up the default Volks face-up was too intimidating, but still wanted to explore other areas of the BJD hobby, and Iplehouse has beautiful models. I was a little surprised when the head arrived, because the size and the weight/color of the resin, and the style of sculpts (a more realistic look vs. a more stylized, "animé" look) was more obvious than say, placing one realistic Volks sculpt and one more stylized Volks sculpt side by side, as I had seen in the showroom.

      It will probably be a long time before I can ever afford another doll, which I suppose is a good thing because I still can't decide what I would get next. I guess you could say I have a few alternate "plans" for a BJD family.

      The first plan would be a like-attracts-like match: Either to get a more mature boy for my Volks SD13 Mimi, which I am leaning toward the Volks boys, since I already know the sizes of their heads would look good together, and it would make me feel better to get a match.

      The next plan is to diversify within bloodlines: To explore dolls of various sizes. Maybe a Mini-SD, or a Yo-SD, to have someone else to make clothes for, since my current doll already has so many wigs that she can very easily metamorph into whatever image she wants to be.

      Then I debate whether or not to continue with my plans of "diversifying" all my dolls, like the original BJD purchase: Now that I have traditional Japanese dolls, and a Japanese BJD, I could look into getting an Iplehouse body for my floating head, or look into getting a little Pipos doll or an Iplehouse model in a very dark resin, or something that just stands out on its own.

      The floating head would be lonely without a body. But having two very different body sculpts (especially a smaller one that looks more mature) might get confusing. I also can't help but thinking of Noah bringing two of a kind onto the arc. I have two traditional dolls that are made by the same sculptor, so I am inclined to want two BJDs by the same manufacturer. After I have a complete set, then maybe I'll worry about branching out to other manufacturers.

      I once read a Japanese story that explained how you determine what is beautiful. The Japanese way of telling whether or not an object is beautiful, it said, is to place the object where it can be surrounded by other beautiful items, and if it blends in, it is also beautiful. I suppose that the Western way of determining beauty would be seeing whether something stands out.

      3) Focus on the Accessories.
      There are knitting, crochet, and sewing patterns here and floating around online that you could make for your doll that might cost you $2-5, depending on your yarn/fabric choice. If you're into sewing, you can just cut up old T-shirts or used clothing for free. I've recycled t-shirt logos many times for free. It will also make your sewing skills better for when you do get a doll, and if you already have a wardrobe built up for your doll, you're less likely to go crazy wanting to buy your doll outfits when you finally do invest. You can also make furniture, miniature paintings, flower arrangements...the sky's the limit. And it will feel good to do something productive.
       
    7. I get so discouraged... even though I have enough money to buy the doll I want most. I got interested in bjds a year or two ago, but then it was like "omg so expensive i can't afford it, ever!". Now I have the money, I remembered the dolls, found one I like. It is a cheap one (156$) and yet in this country even that much is... much. I just can't bring myself to spend that amount of money at once on a thing that seems like a senseless luxury!
      I have other, non-resin dolls, and they brought me much joy... I know how happy I would be if my dream doll arrived home, I know I'd be able to make her beautiful, but I'm just too afraid she will cost me even more when it comes to wigs, shoes and clothes and after all that... I'd just get bored with her or don't have time to play or just have to sell her. (Unlikely but possible)

      I know I should wait and see if I still want her after few months... It is a financial commiment after all... but being able to have her now is killing me!