How known is TOO known?

I'd like to see it become well known enough that no one freaks out about you taking your doll along with you, but not so well-known that they're everywhere, and absolutely EVERYONE has one...

 

The likeliness of these dolls becoming a mainstream 'fad' is highly unlikely, but I doubt it would turn many away from the hobby anyway. We love our dolls to much to be easily swayed away simply from popularity. Just look at all the people who buy the same doll sculpt; just because there are a lot of them doesn't mean one is any less special then another. I personally wouldn't enjoy seeing everyone walking around with dolls (Simply because that raises the rate of mistreatment the dolls could receive) but that wouldn't stop me from wanting to have more dolls.

 

I wouldn't mind or care if they became more popular. I like sharing the things I'm interested in with others and the more the merrier! ^_^ Regardless, the dolls are too expensive and too "weird" to really be truly popular. I really can't see average adults in America carrying dolls in the street or park on purpose.

 

(Oh, god, I'm resurrected this?)

I'm with most people on this thread. I don't believe that ABJDs, as we know them here, will ever really become very popular. At least, not much more than they are already. There will always be that niche of people who are attracted to the beauty and creepy that ABJDs have to offer. And have a disposable enough income, or are determined enough, to buy one.

As for what others have said... They DO make dolls with interchangeable wigs, and I swear interchangeable eyes (they certainly look like the acrylic eyes to me, at least). That is actually something that has always sparked the imagination of girls (and boys), to be able to change your dolls' hair? Eyes? Mix and match their outfits? Heck, when I was younger, I would've given up a small body part for a doll like that! Probably why I'm in the hobby now... I digress. Dolls like that do exist in Wal-Mart now, and I've eyed some of those wigs with envy, even though I know they aren't anywhere near JPop, Usagihime, or Crobidoll in quality.

But for the sake of argument, if ABJDs through some celebrity stunt or awareness became popular among the masses, I doubt I would even notice or care. I would say I'm active in the community, but I rarely get involved with anyone beyond replying to threads or posts. Not to be callous, but that's just how I am.

Yet, I think we may be forgetting something. Or it may have been mentioned. But a lot of the people who would "jump the bandwagon" and just want to be in this hobby because celebrity x is doing it won't want to do the face-ups themselves, or make the clothing. And some, not all, but some would want to break from the norm, and NOT get the fullset. Instead, sending their doll out to be faced by a DoA member, commission their outfit from someone in the community, and things of that nature. A truly unique doll, and they didn't have to go through the years it takes to get good at this stuff.

Oh wait, we do this anyway. Crap. /shot My point is that with more people pouring into the hobby, hypothetically speaking, and wanting something different from everyone else, would pour money into the individual artists that make up this community. For that alone, I would call a surge in popularity a good thing. I love supporting artists!

 

I wrote this on my blog a while ago, but I seriously doubt these dolls are going to become mainstream. The big (and probably, most obvious) reason is cost. We all know these dolls cost a lot, and seeing a doll with a celebrity isn't going to make everyone go out and buy one.

The difference between these dolls, and say, Ugg boots, is that these dolls don't serve a function for people. Ugg boots are shoes, iPads are like computers, cars can be driven. Unless you're a doll collector who didn't know about BJDs, most people are going to sober up when they see the price of dolls. Those who remain (and aren't doll collectors) will most likely not jump into the hobby. You might see a lot of regret because they might not want to go out with a doll, or do regular maintainance. Overall, these dolls are a hobby, and only provide joy to owners. They don't make our lives any easier, or more convenient, and this is a factor that will most likely turn a lot of people off.

And most parents will probably not find the dolls that wonderful for this same reason, too. Why spend $300 on a doll when you can easily go to the toy store and buy one for $20. Yes, of course, there are exceptions to this rule, but most likely (especially in this economy) parents won't buy the doll for their child, and probably won't encourage their child save that much.

So, the BJD hobby can be equated with stamps, toy trains, and coin collecting - they're hobbies. I think hobbies are sort of going by the wayside. You go into a hobby because you want to - you're not getting anything out of it except knowing that you like it. You don't get to make calls, or send emails, or anything technical. You do it because you want to. I think a lot of people are forgetting that being on the computer, or text messaging are not hobbies.

 

Bad, bad, BAD thing. Not for the reason that a large demographic might short circuit small companies or production processes, but simply because if the values of these dolls become common knowledge, doll theft would probably be so much more prevalent. I'd rather have a thief come into my home and walk past the dolls without knowing their monetary worth instead of have the burglar stop and go, "I could make at least six thousand for all of these!"

 

Everyone "else" is missing out. =^.^=

As for the psychology of collecting something unusual, if other people could have as much fun as I have had, that would be great. For that reason, I'd say it would be good for bjd to be more well known.

I couldn't predict how wide spread popularity might have an effect on the financial part of it.
Part A= "Good or Bad for Collectors" . Whether they would become even more pricey, or whether more buyers would mean more mass production and lower prices...there is good and bad possibilities either way there.

 

It'd be nice if they were more popular - less harrassment, maybe? And more understanding.

I wouldn't really care; I'd happily recruit people into Team Resin. What I DON'T want though, is idiots who get it but don't appreciate it.

 

Question: Would you like to see BJD be more well-known, or would popularity ruin collecting?

Hmmm... You see, before the manga Naruto was released in my country, one of my friends totally fell in love with the story, couldn't pass his week without the chapter. When it was released, I bought the tomes. By the time the fourth one was released, my friend was complaining Naruto has become a social phenomena, and he wasn't going to read it anymore, since it wasn't "cool". I'm still buying the tomes.

That said, I couldn't care less if more people collected them or not, as long as I could get the ones I wanted. The only thing that makes me wary of this hobby becoming well-known is the fact that more people would know about the price, and it would be even less safer to go to outdoor meetings.

I do believe, though, that if bjd were to become a trend, it wouldn't last long, as with every trend.


The issue: Say there was a story or news report done on BJDs (hypothetical) that reached world audiences, rocketing them into popularity. Maybe a celebrity starts carrying one around or something. Suddenly, BJDs are everywhere and everyone has one; basically, it's trendy. Would you consider that to be:

A: good/bad for collectors
B: make BJDs lose their uniqueness for being different
C: make you mutter "I was doing it before it was cool."

There has actually been an article released in a popular magazine that came with a newspaper in my country (it was a doll-themed special number), and another one in a special number of a doll collector magazine. It was many years ago, back when Volks was releasing their first dolls, and the prices mentioned were prohibitive. So, despite the fact that many people read that article, no bjd "boom" was caused. I would scan the article and translate some parts, but I'm afraid a girl that goes by chyna in forums, and by CSI whenever I'm concerned, might find something wrong and do anything in her power to end up demonstrating I was wrong.

As I said, I believe that bjd becoming well-known would be really bad for collectors, at least for a while, and then it would turn just regular. Kinda the same effect the first cell phones or laptops had. Meaning the reasoning of "If you've got one, you've got the money", which would prompt thieves to steal the dolls and sell them for a high price. More than they do now, I mean, because there would be more people. Also, I believe prices would suffer a dramatic raise. More demand equals more sold dolls. And that usually ends up in a raise in prices.

BJD don't have to lose their "uniqueness". When I was a child, I had some barbie dolls, amongst others. And, despite every girl in my class having barbies, those were still my barbies, and they were special. Phobos won't stop being unique to me if bjd become popular, neither will Subaru or Yue, for example, despite knowing other 99 people own a DZ Asura. or any of the others. My dolls are unique because they are mine.

As for the third option, I don't really give a damn about how many people shares a hobby with me, else I would be a very sad girl otherwise, because I like, and enjoy, anime/manga, reading, writing and listening to music, amongst many other things. Hell, if I were to think like that, just seeing the amount of people in this forum, I'd be giving up!

 

Mainstream? Oh I hope not... otherwise this might have the potential to spiral out of control and turn into a "I want them because everyone else has one!" kind of thing, and then the value of these dolls would plummet and people would fail to see and appreciate the beauty and joy of collecting bjds... but that's probably not gonna happen since as many have pointed out, these dolls don't have a "use".

It's funny cause I'm starting to see doll companies get popular, and all of a sudden people are making a big fuss about their sculpts, when I've known about them for a while. I know it's silly and childish, but at the same time... even though I'm glad about their popularity, deep down I get the feeling that the newer peepz are raving about the dolls just because it's the "popular/in" thing. But whatever.

 

I think that would be great, but then again, I'm thinking about the $$$ I'd see since I'm a distributor lol. XD

 

The issue: Say there was a story or news report done on BJDs (hypathetical) that reached world audiences, rocketing them into popularity. Maybe a celebrity starts carrying one around or something. Suddenly, BJDs are everywhere and everyone has one; basically, it's trendy. Would you consider that to be:

A: good/bad for collectors
If everyone started buying them, then it would either make more BJD companies and some chances to make cheaper dolls so that everyone could afford them; or prices would rise altogether.
B: make BJDs lose their uniqueness for being different
If everyone had one, then yes, they would be less unique. But each doll has a tendancy of not looking exactly like another, so they will always be unique to their owner.
C: make you mutter "I was doing it before it was cool."
I understand the aggervation in such a statement. Anything 'I was doing ______ before it was cool' always leads to either just being... well, not snobby, just... eh, well, aggervated or to everyone getting aggervated because when everyone and their mother starts doing something, then you get the little pricks who think they're better than someone, even if they liked something before said little jerk did. But you get that in the hobby anyways.
My answer? Hidden choice-
D: Nothing.
Because I don't think something like this will ever catch on to where everyone is doing it, it's just expensive and there are better things other than dolls to spend your money on.

 

I don't think that it would ever be the case since having a doll is considered to be immature by most mainstream society ...

If it did then....

It would be bad for collecting since more people would want to cash in with the trend and create more bjds that are subpar doll (knock offs) at cheaper prices and original bjd companies might raise prices since there will be more demand for their product. So collector would not only have to compete with other buyers for originals they might have to become even more weary of authencity.

Yes they will probably lose some of their uniqueness, but then again what makes our dolls unique is our perception of what or who they are to us.

I would probably say I was into dolls before they began to be a trend as many of us would have to do.

 

I think I would mutter something like 'Well, I liked them before and then everyone around me found them creepy, but now that they're popular/mainstream they aren't creepy to you anymore, huh?"
BUT that would only be a personal thing. It could be bad for the hobby for reasons other people in this thread have mentioned already, but I also think I would be happy to have more people to talk to about dolls. (in RL, I mean)
I don't think it would really affect the uniqueness of our dolls negatively, because every doll is different anyways and unique is what we, their owners, make of them.
I'm definitely not someone who would give up a hobby because it isn't rare anymore. On the contrary, the more people to share it with, the better.

 

I doubt it would matter much to me but then I don't go to meets, I think that would be the point it would be noticeable and annoying. I'm a relatively private person so my hobby is pretty private, so it wouldn't be any different for me really except, as people have said, it will be easier to get accessories.

 

I wish they were more mainstream just because it would make them easier to get ahold of but then theres the looming omen of them becoming tacky, and special barbie dolls being made that strikes fear of the mainstream into myself.

 

I like the idea of uniqueness. I wouldn't like everyone around me to have a BJD. It took me some effort to discover these wonderful dolls and I don't think they would matter to me as much if they were widely available and easily accessible.

 

Tbh if you do your own face ups or get custom done face ups theyre still unique. I think its really strange that people act at time like they want to keep these dolls a secret from the general population, when theyre so amazing, its not really fair to keep them hush like dirty little secrets!

 

I don't think it would matter to me either way, although I would get a little annoyed if the hobby suddenly blew up, and someone told to me I was trying to be like "everyone else" by collecting these. Then I would yell, "YAY for conformity!" and go play with my dollies.

 

A: good/bad for collectors
Neither, those people just have to look up other collectors , pretty much like anime and manga fans, you just look up the people that likes the same anime or manga as you do and skip the rest
B: make BJDs lose their uniqueness for being different
Not everyone WILL own a doll, cause many think they are ugly/childish/can't afford/not interested etc, so they won't loose their uniqeness, and thats whats so great with humanity, everyone likes different
C: make you mutter "I was doing it before it was cool."
Well, you help the trend get started, didn't ya?