How Old is TOO Old?

I began collecting BJDs at 22, was that too old?(LOL)
Personally I don't think BJ-dolls are for kids under 10 unless they have really high aesthetical standards.

 

Collecting antique linens and clothing, plates, figurines, comic books, cars, dolls, fishing poles, coins, stamps, old bottles, dishes, French and Italian antiques, paintings, toy trains, doll houses, books, jewelry and wine, etc. are universally enjoyed by so many of us. People of all ages seem to enjoy investing in something they enjoy.

Older folks may have the discretionary funds necessary to begin collecting. Now that their mortgages and cars are paid off, the children's college tuition has been paid...collecting is more likely. Not all people find the need to do so. My husband collected stamps when growing up...but that was it. Some youngsters may collect certain items with the assistance of family members. My boys collected baseball cards.

So as far as young or old collectors I think the shared characteristics can be found at any age. What motivates a person to collect is probably as diverse as items collected.

I always enjoyed dolls and began investing in them in my 30s and have continued to do so for decades. Now knitting and crocheting for my bjds has become just as enjoyable. I love using small needles, different colors and various painted fingering yarns to design one of a kind creations. I attended the Fashion Institute of Technology and finally found a way of combining my love of dolls with textile arts. Bjds are preferable to collect because of their posing flexibility which helps enhance their knit outfits. This ties into my other hobby of photography.

I suppose if I was so inclined I might be collecting lifelike sculptures of all sizes. In lieu of that my dolls have fulfilled that artistic expression.

 

I think deciding "shoulds" and "should nots" based on age/gender/ethnicity, etc., is a load of rubbish. Certainly as we age there are certain things we should be more aware of (avoiding falls, etc.). But everything else outside of common sense regarding health and practical wealth are ridiculous and based off of something someone else said. In one culture, you'll find one way of thnking about such topics; in another culture, you might find some vastly different perspective. Stop thinkng about what others will think and adopt your own culture. Break those mind-forged manacles and stop fearing shadows.

 

You're never too old! If it's something you like, go for it. I'm a young 66 and just got interested in BJDs!

 

I'm happy to read the replies to this thread.

I started when I was 45 and I am a man; 2 things I thought would outcast me from the start. I was hesitant to join Den of Angels when someone I know sent me an invitation but they said DoA has all kinds of members.

Though I wonder if the type of doll matters for a person. For example, for women they may be stereotyped as spinsters if the still collect dolls when they are over the age of, say, 40 years old. But if I man the same age (or any age) collected he may be stereotyped as being gay, strange, or perverted.

Speaking of perverted, I will soon be getting a Dollfie Dream which some people think men buy only for seedy purposes. I also own some Pullips' but I got them because I think they are so darn cute

I imagine even as open as DoA is there will be some people who prefer to 'hang out' with people around their own age or gender, or the kinds of BJDs' they own, which is understandable.

Still, like others have said, if what you are doing isn't causing harm to anyone, have at it!

 

I don't think you're ever too old to have a hobby you enjoy. I saw a sticker the other day that said "Immature: a word boring people use to describe fun people." LOL I think that's my new motto now.

 

You're never too old for toys. Just don't start having tea parties with them in the middle of a supermarket, people might look at you funny.

 

i hope im to old O.O i have not even really started this hobby!

 

I remember my great grandmother's porcelain doll collection was up in the attic when we cleaned out the old family house. My mother had them all cleaned up and put them on a high shelf in her sewing room and eventually sold some of the more rare ones. I knew people from church with collections who were well into their 70s. I never liked dolls myself until BJDs came along. Then, I got the OH, I get it now! clue. It's like some people collect and set up model trains or boats and things. And it sure beats collecting cats. O_o (live ones that is, I'm not giving up my porcelain cat collectio >.>;

Yeah because the people cooking crack in the middle of Walmart might damage your dolls when their stuff blows up.

 

I don't get any flak about doll collecting from my parents as long as I do it responsibly and cover my have-to's before I go into the want-to's. Nobody else gives me a hard time about it. There was one friend that disapproved of the hobby, but she disapproved of me having any hobby not related to my career. We haven't talked in a long time.

 

The joy of having hobbies is that there are no age restrictions!

 

Age is just a number and I honestly believe that, as long as a person is able, nothing is out of reach because of it.

 

I don't think you could be to old either. To me there is really no difference in collecting dolls to collecting anything at all. My dad always collected Asterix Comicbooks, that's not considered very mature either if you want to look at it that way. My great aunt collected dolls from a very young age even though she had a lot of childen. Guess I got my thing for dolls from her. :'D
I'm 29. I don't think I'm too old to start collecting ABJDs.
And if anyone wants to tell me I am, I'll tell them to f*ck off.

 

I already has been said many times but I also think that you're never to old for dolls.

I mean, from my friend's point of view, I'm too old. And I'm just 18.
I've learned that in general, people think that it's okay to have dolls until 10, then until 20 you're too old and you should be retarded or something, and when you're 30 they say "You're mad! Sell your dolls and make babies instead!" because they think you treat your dolls like children and you must be doing weird things to them... And when you get older, like 60-70, it's okay again because you're not supposed to play with your dolls and from toys they become pieces of art.
That's what I've been told, by my friends, and fellow BJDs lovers I do know and others I don't.
I am not saying that it is everyone's opinion. But this is what I heard the most of the time. I also know open-minded persons that doesn't give a sh/t and are just happy that you found yourself a hobby :3
But as we're all free, I just think that you can still collect doll from now to the end of your life and tell the trolls to pipe the f*ck down
^w^

 

I agree, never too old? I know someone n her late 60s who never had a dolls house as a child but always wanted one. She got on in a thrift store, her husband did it up for her, and she adores it!

 

I definitely dont think there is anything such as 'too old' either. Especially with the diversity of the hobby. More than just 'playing' with dolls its also being creative. Sewing and designing clothes, taking pictures, and doing face ups(kind of like makeup) are all normal hobbies for all ages that have just been compacted and specialized here. So I dont see how you can be too old for that ;3

 

I don't think that doll collecting has an age at which it becomes unacceptable, as long as the person doing the collecting is happy. It's just like any other hobby, in that respect. I mean, I don't think that you would hear somebody saying that model train building is a kid's hobby and the 40-something guy who loves his trains should give them up. Of course, there will always be people who yell that those around them need to be responsible and give up childish things, but childish is in the eye of the beholder.

All that being said, I do want to say that I collected other types of dolls as a child, mostly porcelain and Barbies. When I reached twelve-ish, I decided that I didn't really like playing with dolls. So, I put my Barbies away and I gave the porcelains to a younger neighbor girl. I don't think that I felt it was childish, either from internal or external pressures, but I just lost interest. When I ran into BJDs a few years later, they felt more comfortable and they've held my interest ever since. Maybe BJDs are just more fun than Barbie. ^_^

 

This sounds like an interesting situation The most that's ever happened in Asda is trolly races... and I was involved in instigating most of those.

 

When it comes to this hobby I don't think there's an age limit cuz they're not toys.

 

I think that BJDs are for everyone. I know that when I have babies, I'll want them to have BJDs of their own. They're toys after all.