how young is too young?

For the OP... wow if you've been into the idea of bjds for that long, then it's pretty safe to assume you're committed and it's okay to buy! I didn't get my first bjds (got 2 at once) until my early 20s just because I didn't know about them until then, but I started collecting Blythe dolls in my teens.

More generally, yeah, I agree that it varies from person to person. It's probably easier for us to judge because we're already familiar with bjds, but I can imagine that it's difficult for parents who only see dolls as a toy. My own kid is super into my dolls when I'm doing unboxings and such (the dolls live in boxes atm) and I'll sometimes let her have a look with me still holding the doll. But my kid is 2 and a half, so no way is she allowed to handle them on her own XD

I think in a few years, if she's still interested, about getting something like an aileendoll plapico dragon, which is on the less breakable end of things. It will be a long time before I'll be comfortable with her having a more expensive doll. If she even wants one (I don't expect her to XD )

 

like others said, the only "too young" for bjd is mostly just breaking these dolls, or hurting yourself from pinching joints and s-hooks dramas. if you're really concerned that you might not like your grail once you got them, you might consider asking yourself why you want a bjd in the first place. this hobby is pretty vast and have so many different things you can do. it can also get very expensive very quickly, even if you have just one doll or decided to diy.

but this should be said, if you're questioning yourself if you should buy something, its best to wait. there will always be another doll you will like, and even if the sculpt you like now gets discontinued, there's the 2nd hand market, or getting a similar sculpt. there are no penalties for getting a doll later if you are not sure now.

 

I would say the most important question is, do you have the money to buy a bjd? If you do, and you're willing to spend it on a bjd, then you're old enough to buy a bjd.

 

I got into dolls at your age (I’m 22 now). I don’t really think there’s an age limit per se, but I know one thing I should have considered at 17 was that my spending habits would impact me later on. I have decent savings now, but building them up took a lot of time, after spending literally every cent I made in grade eleven.

I’d reccomend against spending every cent you own on dolls 24/7, but for a grail, and one you’ve wanted for like 5 years, I’d completely encourage it. If you don’t end up like if BJDs, you can always resell. You might lose a smidge of money, but usually you can resell for a reasonable amount.

So age... isn’t really a factor to me here. You’re old enough that the money you’re spending is yours, you know what you want (and have for a long time), I see nothing wrong here, with the caveat of advising against doing what I did and spending everything on dolls.

 

I’m 19, been interested in bjds since I was 14. It’s never too young to be interested in a hobby. I think I got my first doll at 16 too! Just have fun. At least you get an earlier taste on what budgeting might be like!

 

For me personally in my own situation, ‘too young’ meant ‘not financially stable enough to support myself.’ So although I was interested much earlier, I didn’t get my first doll until I was 25. Part of the reason was my parents. I had enough money saved up, but they wanted me to use it for a car, a down payment on a house or other adult things. My mom even told me if I had money to blow on dolls, then I had money to find my own place and pay my own bills. (Thankfully, she’s come around now and is totally cool about the hobby.) another reason was that I knew it wouldn’t be just the price of a blank, bald, naked doll, but I would want eyes, a wig, clothes, accessories, props, maybe another doll—and if I didn’t have any money of my own, I wasn’t going to be able to enjoy the hobby much.

All that being said, though, I don’t think there is a set age when you can start the hobby. I’ve known 13 year olds in the hobby and I’ve known people in their 40s who are reluctant to spend so much. Only you (and maybe your parents) can decide what is right for you. Think about the pros and cons, how much you feel safe spending and how much realistically you’re probably going to need to buy to complete your doll, how long you’ve been interested in the hobby, if you’ve collected other dolls or similar things and how long you tend to stick with a hobby. Then look over your answers and decide if you’re ready.

 

I got my first BJD secondhand when I was around 11 as a Christmas present. That's not really a common age to start, but I digress. I've only really gotten into the hobby more recently, but I don't regret getting my first doll at all. I was very happy to have her at the time, and she's a treasured member of my doll family even now that I'm 21.