How does your family react to the hobby ?

My parents are just shocked by the price overall. They find my dolls aesthetically beautiful, but they are baffled at that I couldn't be okay with 1 or 2. After 10, they started questioning my ability to save money and planning ahead for the future. ^^;

 

I say the more dolls you have the more amazing at budgeting you are! Really, if you're good at it, it's shuffling funds.

 

My parents and most of my family/ friends are huge supporters of the hobby. I can't help but to have a sense of pride and I think that shows every time I talk about them...which probably makes it more difficult for people to react negatively. At first, I didn't openly tell the price of my dolls, considering it's my money. Now that they know the how much I spend, I was surprised to see how quickly they accepted it. I've only ever had one person over-react about it, claiming she had a phobia, due to a "haunted doll" experience. I learned who I could share it with and who I couldn't.

 

I kinda lied about the cost of my first girl >__> I mentioned wanting to get her and said she was only $400.. which was... $400 under what I paid for her, I love her to bits, and I think my parents like her a great deal more than my other dolls which I don't think they care for to be honest.

 

@Savannahfaerie: I have the tendecy to always lie about the prices of my dolls, simply because I'm getting so tired of everyone's reactions.
"What??? You could have bought this and this and that for that money." Yes. I know. But I didn't.

 

I have a guy friend (who tried to date me--it lasted not even a whole week) whose always been snooty and sorta condescending about my doll. (Maybe that's why it didn't last so long. Look dude, if you like MLP and you're over 30, that's fine but you best not be a jerk about ME being over 30 and collecting dolls...ahem.) I was explaining how my Nano loved Cadillac cars. My mom said he'd buy them even if the timing wasn't right. And I was using this to explain "everyone has their cadillacs". His reply was all "Well, I hear how much they are and think of how I could buy a boat or tent" or fill in other outdoor gear as he likes the outdoors and hunting and guns and stuff. I replied, "Yeah, but that's not MY thing, that's yours. You tell me you drop $X on something like that and I think of a doll I could buy." It's out money. We can do with it as we see fit (as long as we're being responsible adults about it). If it makes us happy, then that's what makes us happy.

 

I was actually surprised on how my family takes it, my fiancee bought me my 3rd doll for christmas and my mom kind of see them as her grandchildren because we havent started having kids yet. she always wants to see what i am making and doing with them. i enjoy it.

 

Luckily my family are mostly okay with my dolls, especially my mum, she loves them! Im especially thankful to my best friend though, she doesn't collect anything like this, and wouldn't want to do anything like this either but she knows how important it is for me and so she always tries her best to understand and support me as best as she can

 

When I got my first batch of BJDs 9 years ago my kids were both quite young. It shouldn't be too surprising to learn that they loved them also - in fact both of them have collections of their own. My husband is not especially interested, but is very supportive of my having them. My siblings don't get it, but that's ok as they're in different states with hobbies of their own. My dad - the only blood relative of his generation still around - thinks I'm in my "second childhood" ("tsk! a grown woman playing with dolls!") but his spouse thinks the dolls are beautiful and that the clothing is amazing. And of course she's right! -- I have to say that's one advantage to being in the hobby at an age where I'm starting to get senior citizen discounts at some places -- I don't really give two hoots what anyone else thinks

 

I got my mom into the hobby. I bought my first one second hand off ebay and it got her searching for one of her own because she wanted to have models of her OCs based off her story she's been writing since before I was born xD My sister likes them but she doesn't live with us anymore so she hasn't actually SEEN my dolls in person and if she came down to visit, I wouldn't bring them out as she's got a very small boy under 4 years old and another one on the way =u=; so only if he was asleep or something. No idea what my aunt or cousins think. Most of my friends either don't care much since they haven't commented or they'd rather see them in person to make judgments on them. I have several online friends into the hobby though...others think they're a waste of money but I sit back and look at how long I've been interested in them and say they're worth it.

 

In the beginning my mom didn't pay much attention until she saw the creativity that comes with this hobby. She became very supportive when I started photographing my dolls. My dad took a bit longer to come around because he considered dolls to be for little girls only although he has a sister who collects dolls too. His hobby is miniature trains and cars. He said his hobby was different but he would set his miniatures up to be part of a town. He finally came around when he saw my photographs of my pullips. Now we have long conversations about our hobbies.

 

Mom: "Oh my gosh that is a beautiful doll, let's get her -- WAIT SHE COSTS HOW MUCH MONEY?!"

Dad: 'Those anime dolls you're into are very cool, though that one looks rather feminine for a boy..."

Brother: "For the last time, I don't want to look at an online comic about dolls!"


So yeah, they're fairly supportive. XD

 

My mom has no problem with my hobby except for the price. But she doesn't care as long as its not her money. She would never personally buy them, but she does like my dolls.

 

My mom likes it, my dad doesn't really care, my brother says I'm weird and the rest say is creepy. But I love it! So I will do what I want!

 

My family as a whole accepts my little hobby. My mom believes it expresses my artistic side, and for that reason they're beautiful dolls... I customize the dolls face-up/body blushing now, like a blank canvas... My friends think it's cool and some think they're kinda odd. I really don't care if anyone thinks they're unusual. To me, these dolls have a lot of detail and art

 

My family are just fine with it, some of my friends find the dolls a bit creepy specially blank but they don't think it's weird. However my mother hates that it's so expensive, not even the dolls themselves but any kind of material (for example string or sealant or eyes) are way too expensive for her. Of course, my mother is a deeply religious person who believes that you shouldn't spend any sort of money in hobbies and that money is for survival and the rest should go to the poor.

 

I got my first doll when I was 15-years or so. I did not tell cost of the doll, because I knew my dad would just complain about it. Otherwise he is okay with my hobby, once he did help me to build some furnitures for my dolls. My mom is a cool person, so she was basically exited and just happy I had a creative hobby. My younger brother was just curious about how tall the doll would be in real life. I don't live with my folks anymore, but whenever I visit them I have my dolls with me and they are okay with it.

 

At first my family were.... aren't you a bit old for dolls..... of coarse I never tell them the cost.... it's my money anyway, I earn it .... now they just accept it, some of my friends think it's weird, other think its great, it doesn't bother me, I'm so happy with this hobby, I don't judge other people, I suppose it's nieve to expect others not to judge me, but hey...

 

My family at first took the piss out of me for liking and collecting "Dolly's" but now there used to them so they have stopped and don't say anything now

 

My mom thinks they're kind of creepy and way too expensive, but my dad thinks they aren't so bad (well some of them he thinks some are creepy too) but they wont buy me one lol again because of the price.