How long before you gave in?

I can't really say there's "one point" where I became aware of BJDs, it was more of a slow exposure to them starting when I started going to anime conventions in 2003. I'd see people with them in passing, think "oh that's pretty but not really for me" (most of what I was seeing were the very frilly lolita style ones; don't get me wrong, they're gorgeous, but for me they're an "admire and move on" thing, not a "must have" thing). As I started getting into Artist Alley stuff, my then-roommate found the Volks USA site, I checked that out and mistakenly looked at the vinyl ones first. "Oh those aren't so bad, but they don't seem big enough, let's try another section--whoa they cost how much?! Nevermind!" For probably a year or so I thought Volks was the only source, until I ended up with a freebie copy of Haute Doll, with some ads for other ones in it. Gorgeous, expensive limited editions, but it at least made me aware there were more companies, even if the price remained a huge turn-off and the aesthetics still weren't quite what I was after.

I moved and got a new roommate during that time, too, one who was also doing Artist Alley, and who came up with the idea that "Hey, we can both sew really well, we should make doll clothes. I know you don't want to invest a ton of money in one just to sew for it, but I found this one that's really affordable and kind of looks like your comic character!" That was 2008, that's what sealed the deal and opened Pandora's box, so to speak. But there wasn't really one point where there was a definite awareness, or a point where I said "Oh I must have this, I'll save up for it," just a slow buildup and an impulse purchase meant to be something else. Not that I have any complaints! It just makes it hard to nail down the exact time it took for me to give up and join the hobby.

 

This is how it went for me:
Found out about BJDs in early 2012
Became obsessed with researching about them
Came across Elfdoll Rita and knew instantly that she was The One
Did some quick math and realized it wouldn’t be financially feasible to drop half a grand on a doll in the same year as getting married and moving house
Tried to put her out of my mind for months and failed miserably
Continued obsessively reading about BJDs, learned about hybrids
Realized I liked a dramatically less expensive body better than the Elfdoll one anyway and it just so happened to match ED heads beautifully
Decided she was attainable in the immediate after all
Started saving
Ordered her body the same day I started my DoA membership this April
Still finishing up the last bit of saving for her head; very much enjoying reading and posting on DoA despite the fact that first doll is currently but temporarily headless.

 

I don't know what the sculpt was but I remember seeing some pictures of him on Deviantart several years ago, after thinking it was a human... I remember thinking..."that's a doll? wow..." So I googled the name and was floored by the price and kinda moved on figuring I'd never get one because.."DOLLS? Why would I want a doll, let alone one that is so expensive???"

So it was on the back burner until about the middle of last year when I kept seeing more pictures of pretty SD boys on an off-topic, very popular fashion doll website. I caved for real then, and started looking at different ones but none of them quite cut it because I was looking for a very specific boy. (And I didn't know at the time most of the face-ups I was looking at were by other members of the community, not the doll makers themselves. >.<)

If I knew then what I knew now I would have jumped right in with an SD boy. >w>; I wouldn't have settled because my first doll (LTF Chiwoo) cost nearly as much total as my first SD. (Plus,Yo-SD is waaay too small for my tastes now.)

 

I was looking on BJD since 2009. But got to hobby ony now, in 2013. THe thing that kept me aay as the price. But now whe I have a job I can afford my sef a doll in a year

 

I found out about BJDs in January two years ago, and only two months later I ordered my first doll.
I love him like crazy and I have never regreted buying him

 

Almost 10 years? I have an online friend who has been into dolls for a long time. She used to take pictures of doll shows that she would go to in Japan, and I would admire them, but thought they were too expensive. I finally gave in a couple of years ago.

 

I generally wait until special occasions like Christmas or my birthday, but if I had to estimate how long it takes me to want another BJD it would have to be 6 months lol

 

Found out about BJDs in November 2005 and ordered my first doll in January 2006. I admit, I didn't do as much research as some people do but I just couldn't wait to have my own BJD. I was also lucky to find one that appealed to me so quickly. And seven years later I still have him!

 

I met my friend who introduced me to the hobby in the Spring of 2008. It wasn't long before I wanted a doll, but didn't feel I was in the position to get one. I fell in love with Dollzone Helen, and I knew with the right face up I wanted her to be one of my many RP characters. So at the end of the Summer of 2012, I purchased her body and then her head, giving me my first doll by Christmas.

 

Since the very first time I saw a BJD I wanted one... But I'm underage, unemployed and my parents don't give me a lot of money. It was really hard to save and come up with the first one, uhmm, it took me two years if I'm not wrong -or three- but it was worth, totally

 

I was wanting to buy one as soon as I got interested in my friends BJD. I can't really explain why I liked her so much, but I wanted one of my own. My problem was money. It took me three years to gather enough funds to get my doll. And he was a fairly cheap one too.

 

Between finding out about BJDs as a hobby, and buying my first doll? Maybe a couple of months? I originally was looking for centaur BJDs because I was planning on making a centaur body for Pullips and wanted some reference photos. I originally wasn't very interested in BJDs at all, but then I found Soom's site and knew I needed one of their fantasy satyr dolls. They'd sold out of Beryl and Sard long ago, though, so I had to wait.

Between seeing the actual doll I wanted to buy, and buying her? Less than 48 hours. I knew I wanted her as soon as I saw the preview photo, and only lasted one 'sleep' between her being up for sale and me putting her on layaway

I (apparently - I had to check!) joined DoA just before the doll I bought was put up for sale. I joined on the 3rd of February, and Cuprit was Soom's March doll in 2009. So I was only 'technically' doll-less for a month. But since I bought Cuprit on a long layaway (6 months), I was actually doll-less for around 10 months.

I was a pretty active member, even without a doll. This was around the height of Soom's popularity, so I spent lots of time chatting with people in the various Monthly Doll discussion threads. I bought a few other dolls (also on layaway) while I was waiting for Cuprit to arrive, so I had plenty to talk about!

 

I've been a member of Doa since september 2012... its been a year and 3 months since I was into the hobby and hey I'm still saving for my very first BJD! So I don't actually own one yet...

 

I was first introduced to BJDs by another member here in 2009, and I fell in love with a Soom limitied edition doll. I joined DoA that same day too. The prices scared me, but after 3 years of saving and holding out for the Soom free choice events, my foxy Breccia will be home in a couple months!

I've already started making clothes and jewelry for her. And she already got a character name/story.

 

While I had seen them in magazines, it was February when I saw one in the resin -- by Memorial Day (May 31) mine was delivered.

 

As soon as I saw photos of BJDs online, I knew i wanted one...I just never thought I'd give in and get one! I ordered my first doll, an Iplehouse Silvia, about three years later.

 

uhm, i think 4 years ish? it was the Luts limited release of Abadon that i got my first glimpse of bjds and wanted him XD i got my first doll last christmas (actually, it will be exactly one year since i ordered Hoshi on the 14th). I joined DoA late 2011, not sure when my activity started tho XD

 

2 years or so for me I think - they were way too expensive, even though back then I had a LOT more money than I do now! And I was terrified of ordering anything from Asia online. I bought a bunch of other dolls, to try and fill the gap, but then one day I sat and added up all the £20 or £30 dolls I'd bought that summer, and it came to over £700 So I was annoyed then for being so stupid - I could have bought a few bjd with that money! I am now making up for lost time

 

I first found out about them in 2008 but I was still in high school and penniless. I stumbled across them again this year and this time it took me only 2 weeks to order my first.

 

Let's see... found out about BJDs in 2009, and bought my first floating head the following spring (pretty much as soon as the order period for the Migidoll Ryu head opened that year =P ). I joined DoA that summer. My activity is off and on, but even when I am "active" I'm more of a lurker =P