How does your family react to the hobby ?

I was up front and honest with my parents when I got in the hobby. Being from a military home, my family is honest about what we do and say on top of being really strict. I approached the topic to my mother first who makes porcelain dolls; she would be the most understanding. Then I told my father who just seemed indifferent at the time. He was the tough one.

Now, the price is what I kept on the low for a while. They didn't ask so I felt like they didn't need to know. My parents rarely question my purchases anyway. When the topic was finally brought up I told them honestly. Then I explained how BJDs are made and why they cost as much as they do. My mother again understood; my father was a little unhappy but I compared it to his gun hobby and he stopped questioning the price.

I think the real turning point was when I did my first face up. I don't live with them anymore, and I live far away, so I had to email pictures. My mom was looking at the email and my dad saw. My mom told him that I had done it all on my own and he was really surprised. He complimented me and then started asking questions.

A few months later when I visited them I showed my father my Iraki on Souldoll's site and then showed him the Soom MD dolls. He really got interested once I showed him something he could get behind; he's a SciFi freak. I explained how my Iraki was going to be body blushed and what I planned for him. My dad was all ears and even had some input.

I guess because I know how to approach things with my parents it made it easy. And if anything you can tell them that you're not on drugs or something so they shouldn't complain. LOL

 

For me it was a little different. My mom already had a BJD and that's how I became interested. She mentioned wanting to go to a show close by so I decided to check more into the hobby. I'm now expecting my second one today but now it's almost like a competition for my mom. We tend to collect the same things and she always tried to out do me on everything. She gets her BJD top of the line accessories and clothes, wants all of the expensive dolls, SD's because they're "bigger than your little MSD's". Ugh! It's never ending! I'm happy I'm going about all of it a little safer...doing my research and learning about the actual hobby. I'm not interested in competing with my mom. I just wanted to have a common interest.

 

Doll collecting is a very normal hobby i dont see older people frown upon it or other people frown upon it unless they catch you obsessing over them this is my opinion though. My mom is in face buying me my first doll for my birthday. She didnt find it was odd when i introduced her to the dolls she didnt frown upon it the only thing she thought weird was doll meets when she heard that she kind of freakd out and said "thats a bit weird...". I know two older women who collect dolls my grandma and my moms friend. Both have a massive collection of porcelain and vinyl dolls mostly so massive that they have two glass cases of dolls displayed. In my opinion BJD are the newer popularity of doll collecting, its still doll collecting the only thing my mom frowns upon and parents are the price of the doll, the smallness for that price and how fragile it is knowing it wont last forever. My mom even offered to go hunting at thrift stores to find some vintage doll clothes that will fit my BJD before she gets here! Since your parents are country club sort of people i think they will accept the hobby since its not a cheap hobby and when people think of doll that are collectible they think of highly priced dolls. My moms friend is bit of a ritsy person so her dolls to her shows off her wealth as well as her houses and lake side house ect.

 

My mom doesn't like them, she thinks they are too realistic. She likes baby dolls. My older daughter thinks I am nuts and my younger daughter has 3 of her own.

 

I actually wrote a post on my Tumblr account about telling my parents, saying that I believe they won't understand my desire for one or why I'd actually pay the full retail price for one. They do get pretty expensive when you take into account all the clothes, shoes, accessories that are needed as well as the doll itself. But, as I also stated in the Tumblr post, it's my money and I can do what I want with it! There's worse things I can be buying with it, but there's maybe some better things I could be putting the money towards. A car, perhaps, even though the one I've got is fine. I'm happy with what I've got at the moment, so I thought I'd treat myself to a beautiful BJD instead.

My mum was actually diagnosed with leukemia about ten weeks ago - just before I started the layaway for my first doll - and my dad has mentioned on several occasions that, if she gets through this, he might look into getting himself the Harley Davidson he's always pined for. I thought I could treat this doll like my "Harley", my reward for dealing with the hardship of the last couple of months. Instead of stating he was purchased by layaway, I've thought about saying I saved up for him and bought him after my mum was told she's going into complete remission. We're by no means out of the woods yet, but it's a start in the right direction! And, in a way, my Ringdoll Sol is my reward for dealing with it and being strong for my family in this crisis.

My grandmother, though, probably won't be as accepting as my parents will hopefully become. She's never liked the thought of spending ridiculous amounts on things that she feels shouldn't be so expensive. So, I don't think I'll be introducing my $499 doll to her when he arrives!

 

My family has been very good about my joining the hobby and I told them about it a month or two after I had placed my first order. I do not live with them anymore so it was never really something they needed to be informed of prior to placing my order. I wanted this to be something I could get into on my own without needing outside opinions before deciding unless it actually would affect them.

My parents were pretty weary about the price, but have never tried giving me any hassle about wasting my money or anything like that. After all they don't exactly have the cheapest of hobbies themselves (anime/manga being one of them) and I never really spent much on anything for myself outside of my ereader. My first order has definitely been my largest purchase I've made outside of vehicle-related things so there wasn't really anything to argue aside from it being my money and what not.

I have a friend that is intending to get her first doll when she is able and has been interested in it as long as I have. I also have a friend that finds them unsettling, but doesn't have a problem with it outside of the feeling they might be watching her or that they're too realistic for comfort. And lastly my boyfriend had known about it before I'd placed my first order and was one that told me to go for it.

To me it's a hobby just like any other as far as basics go. Yeah it's pricey in a lot of ways, but that's generally the definition of most collections out there. What matters is not letting it become an obsession that takes priority over necessities. As long as one doesn't there is nothing to complain criticize by an outside party when it doesn't directly affect them. Unfortunately this of course wouldn't work for those that don't have their own job/money to be spending on the hobby, but is much the same for anyone starting a collection at a young age or jobless for whatever reason.

 

I had the most delightful time yesterday with my 10-year-old niece. (I am out of state, visiting family.) I showed her photos of my dolls on my laptop, and then we visited Mint on Card to look at the Only-Dolls. She fell in love with them! She was absolutely enchanted by the fantastic outfits and the blue wigs of some of the dolls, and thought the dolls themselves were beautiful. I am going to start saving my pennies. If she is still in love at Christmastime, I'm going to order her a fullset Lu Er or XuanYan.

 

My family wasn't supportive of my dolls. They think their weird and one of my friends (who's a tough guy) is terrified of them. lol. But regardless my family doesn't try to stop my hobby, they just find it odd and are not sure how to take it. Of course I have 2 SD boys and I think the size of them were also frightening, and I'm planning to get a 3rd boy too ^.^ And Abio Angel Er.

 

My dad doesn't care too much what I do as long as it makes me happy. My mum was a little (ok, very) creeped out at first when I showed her pictures of dolls I wanted to buy, and also outraged at the price tag. But she thinks they're sort of cute now, unless they're one of those animal/human hybrid ones or too large, which isn't a issue for me because I love tinies anyway. And the price tag doesn't bother her any more because I'm earning the money myself through work

 

My family seems mostly indifferent towards my dolls. My mom thinks they are pretty and is the most enthusiastic about them. My dad and brother are totally clueless and don't really pay them any attention. My sister thinks they are fascinating but when asked does not seem interested in joining me as a doll owner. My boyfriend thinks they are a bit creepy since some of them are so lifelike, but he also collects a bunch of anime figures and says "Well? They are characters that I love and they are fun to look at!" which we agreed was basically the same as owning BJDs.

 

my moms reactions "you don't need a stupid doll", "that money should have gone on your mastercard instead of going to that stupid doll" i do not think she is very supportive yet. which makes me sad cause i will need sewing help.

my dad is indifferent, my friend had 3 of her dolls over and he was just making comments like 'she needs clothing' as we were sewing' etc but i don't think he has clued into the fact i have one on the way.

 

When I first got into the hobby like 5 years ago, and got my first, I don't think mum was all over the moon. ;I wa then 15) I got my first doll back then, and while she kind of liked him (she even knitted socks for him, lol), I don't think she really understood. I wasn't really a part of the bjd community back then, either, and I didn't know anyone else who had dolls.
But , especially since I got Shai last year, she and dad can see that this hobby makes me happy, and they're very supportive. She would probably get a yosd of her own if they were cheaper.

David, on the other hand, (David is my boyfriend) doesn't really like the dolls. He's supportive because he, too, can see it makes me happy, and he knows I've met a lot of new lovely friends through the hobby, but he thinks the dolls are kind of scary.
But, he wouldn't ask me to sell them and give up the hobby because of that.
So, I guess all parts of the family react well to it.

 

My family doesn't actually care, it's just my grandparents are more or less judgmental about the cost.

 

Well, I really think everyone...well maybe not everyones...but most grandparents are judgemental about the cost. It's one of the biggest gripes my grandmother has with it. That and she thinks their creepy, but thats a whole 'nother story. And true they can be expensive, but if your willing to save up for them should it really be that big of a deal? But being that I live with my grandmother I can say they really just want you to be careful with your money and probably don't think of ABJD's like we do, to them their probably just like kids toys.

 

I never lied about how much my bjd's cost, and my mom was accepting of me getting them since, for years before I was born she collected porcelain dolls (she has a whole cabinet full of them) though right now she kinda thinks my pukipuki is overpriced. As for my dad, he's basically indifferent, though he's told me to take good care of them since they're so expensive.

 

< pops in sits down and joins in the coversation >

i dont live with with my parents as im married however i have gone round to my rents house and hmm well ...my mom seems indifferent about Snow i have shown her to her a couple of times took the wig off took the eyes out restrung her different hair outfits ect and she just says "umm, she nice i suppose ... wierd but nice" i just dont know what to show her to impress her tho she did give me the disaproving look when i told her the cost as if to say "you must have better things to spend that money on" and my step dad is very much the same.

my daddy and step mom however love them i dont see my dad very often but we talk on the phone alot and everytime he asks about my dolls, last month when he came down he spent a good 2 hours with me while i finally got to show him snow and he thinks she a work of art and cant get over her detail tho he has always been a support for everything i put my hand too and he excepts my opinions in things like dolls plus he knows i love everything chinese/japanese

guess i get both ends of the spectrum

 

I'm certain if I had stopped at one it would be a non-subject, but since I am well past that, I'm quite positive my family and my partner's family think I am 100% totally certifiable. If they had a fraction of an idea how much my entire doll collection is worth, they would have a major mental meltdown. The only good part about it.. none of them have the balls to say anything about it to me directly. :P As for the rest of the world, friends, etc.. I've actually turned a few people onto dolls and now they want to kill me. teehee

 

visited my grandma this last week and showed my Grandma my two dolls and she seemed to like them. She liked my pukipuki but she was afraid of breaking my msd I didn't tell her how much they cost though.

 

My Mom hasn't knew yet that I bought two dolls
And I'm really agitated what she'll say.

My friend says that they are prety, but nothing more. Today my best friend has to come and my dolls wait for her with me. I hope she likes them

 

I had been looking at dolls from this French artist on MySpace (so you now know how long ago that was, about 6 yrs ago) made from wax & resin, but they where just sculptures not moveable but very beautiful none the less. I did inquire to her prices and was way.... over my head!

Well the year I got into the BJD hobby was close to my birthday a year or so ago. So on my birth day that was a surprise party I showed my family picks of doll I wanted. They couldn't believe the price of some of them. My mother did mention that I had wanted one simular a few years back. At first it was a shock to them of course of some of the prices, that was there only concern, But figured my money is mine so.....

But now it funny because my all cousins and mother wants one of there own, and want me to get it for them of course.....