How open are you with your BJD as a hobby?

I’m wide open. Honestly think my dolls are artistic and beautiful in general. One of my dolls made to a local tv when I introduced as one of my models/subjects for my work during my interview.

 

I tend to be a more private person in general, so I don't talk about the hobby much outside of forums/instagram, but my husband knows and has been super supportive (he's even getting me a doll for my birthday this year) and my closest friends are aware, but don't really get it. A few of them find dolls scary so it's not something I bring up much. I think being an artist/designer though with a long background in theatre, that they sort of anticipate me having weird/niche 'quirks' and interests, lol, so no one's been that surprised when I've chosen to share. I do wish I could get friends into the hobby though, it would be nice to have IRL people to share it with.

 

Nobody irl knows about it except for my parents, who accidentally discovered my sewing things and quickly figured out that I did not own enough fabric to make human-sized clothing...

 

I'm not really secretive about it, but I don't tend to talk to people I don't know a whole lot. My dad doesn't now, and I'm not going to inform him as he already thinks I'm weird and I just don't want to share this with him. Besides, I've been an "adult" a long time and don't need to explain myself.

 

Not really open at all. I don’t really talk about my hobbies beyond shows/movies I watch due to simply not having the social energy to defend anything eccentric/weird I like (lolita fashion, anime, Gunpla, BJDs). I don’t post about my BJDs except here.

When I got my first doll, I was in college living in a sorority house, and she came to live with me. No one really said anything either way, surprisingly.

 

I wasn't really open about my hobby because I thought that I was the only one among my group of friends who collected things. But then I found out that one person has a collection of teddy bears. A bunch of us were together in a restaurant, and this person's husband revealed that she collects teddy bears, and has hundreds of them. Suddenly the group lit up and everyone shared that they collect something too. I confessed about my collection, and after that it no longer felt like a big deal.

 

I don't really volunteer that information with new people, but I'm not closed off when it comes to talking about it. Unless someone asks about them specifically or about stuff I collect, I don't really feel the need to mention it since it isn't my main hobby and hence am not as active with it. When I invite people over for the first time and they see the dolls, some ask about them and some don't. If they do ask then I'm happy to talk about it, and if not then that's also fine

 

I mostly only talk to other doll collectors about them. I have one friend who is not a collector who likes to hear about them because she likes the artistry in them. Then there are the occasional in laws that ask about the doll room because they are nosy and it is the only room I don’t voluntarily show when they visit. I should put a cipher lock on it and make them even more curious, lol! I did show the bjd to my mother in law because she likes to sew and I thought she would appreciate the details and work on the tiny outfits.

 

I won't bring up my doll hobby with randoms, but there are two types of people I will: People with other "unacceptable" hobbies (Warhammer, D&D, Anime, Cosplay, etc) and Japanese people. Most Japanese people will like that this random westerner appreciates something from Japan, even if they had never heard of BJDs before.

 

Everyone I know , knows about my dolls so I'm opened about it

 

I will be honest. I have one friend at work that I feel really comfortable with, but I'm nervous to tell them about my hobby here. I don't make friends very easily and I don't want to... scare them off I guess you could say. I'm sure at some point I will bring the conversation up and see how it goes, but for the time being it's kind of my own thing.

 

I just had my first outing with one of my dolls. It felt really nice to let her sit and read in fresh air (I made her hold a book). I had some people ask me about my doll. When I’m not with my dolls, I neither brag out nor “hide” about them. But. I have only a few people I would talk deeper about dolls, like how they are feeling that day.

 

Honest I don't care who knows I have my dolls. I'm not ashamed

 

I love talking about it with folks once I've broached the subject, but it can take me a while sometimes with new people. I try to introduce it by referring to them as "art dolls" and/or talking about the backstories of the characters, or the tiny clothing design, etc, based on who I'm talking to and what aspect they might find neat, but it's definitely hard to bring it up sometimes after having people react poorly in the past. I shared with a few folks a couple years ago who were in a show with me, and they all commented a lot about them being creepy or whatever (referring, of course, to my cutest ones and not my intentionally creepy ones >.<), and it kinda hurt, so that made me more careful.

 

I wouldn't worry bout it.. really if I was u I wouldn't care what other people think besides who knows what they do besides closed doors.. it's all about u and what u like not what other people think and it's a great hobby I take my dolls with me sometimes when I go launch my model rockets at the feild I set them up like they are watching the rockets fly it's very enjoyable.

 

I don't care if people know I collect dolls. Both of my grandmother's did and my mom had at least one which my brother now has (he doesn't collect, just that one).

 

I'm really not open about this hobby at all. A lot of my family & friends are aware that I collect BJDs, but a very significant portion of them are afraid of dolls & I can never remember who is and who isn't, so I just don't bring them up. I virtually never mention it to new people, either- my gaming hobby is more relatable to most people I meet, so I focus on that rather than risk a weird reaction over the dolls. My mom loves them & my boyfriend doesn't get it, but is generally supportive, so having those two to talk with (or talk at) is usually enough for me. And whenever my best friend visits, he sneaks into my office/hobby room to pose a doll in a silly way for me to find later, which is very sweet and entertaining.

 

If I had friends I probably wouldn't tell anyone because anything I liked has been ridiculed or I've been told I am extremely selfish for wanting things in life by my family. I would keep anything I like to myself. I've learned I will get abandoned or ridiculed if i speak in general about anything, so I keep anything relating to hobbies, interests, emotions, etc to myself. I don't want to get rejected or abandoned again, so i believe it is best to keep things to myself. The only one who knows about my hobby is my sister. She is inconsistent. Sometimes she is accepting sometimes she is cruel about stuff like dolls or in general anything about me. I just keep everything inside and don't talk much irl that's probably why I talk a lot on DOA.

I can't figure out how to change the font size. I looked up on faq, but can't find it.

 

Not Very... My spouse knows and supports it, she even wants one herself. But a family member noticed the particular doll I wanted on my screen and asked if it was mine. When I explained I was waiting on her, he asked how much she goes for When I answered he just gave a blank stare and there was a long silence, then he looked away and shook his head. Don't really want to share my hobby if it is seen as irresponsible, sadly...

 

I'm decently open about it, my parents know, and my coworkers and friends are actually interested in the hobby. I bring it up in conversation sometimes if those people ask whats new and I recently got a doll or if they ask about my hobbies. But I get very shy about it when someone I don't know asks why I'm buying magnets or miniatures or fabric to small to make anything for a human. I know it's maybe a bit of a more obscure hobby and it's expensive and most people wouldn't be able to justify spending so much money on a doll so I worry what they may think. One of the cashiers asked about my purchase at a craft store the other day and I paused for a good few seconds before saying I needed it for some expensive dolls, they didn't seem to care so ik I worry for nothing but its hard to not sometimes. I'm working on being one confident in myself and my hobbies