If BJD's were to become the 'next big thing'...

I think I would enjoy it. I'd be able to take my dolls out without getting looks like I'm insane. More people in the hobby would make me happy -- more people to talk to!

Although on the other hand, I'd be more worried about my dolls getting stolen.

So I guess I'm on the fence. It'd have good and bad points.

 

Meh, I'd have mine, that meant a lot to me, and that's what would matter. I'd be more afraid of all the knock off crap that would come with that. But I know it would be there... then over jsut as fast, as any 'next big thing' is. may take a few years.... but again... I'd have the ones I cared about.

I can see a lot of hate threads/outfits spring up over all the 'wannabe' BJD peeps that just by them 'cause thier the thing though... and I prefer my hobbies with as little imbittered hatred as possible from those actually IN the hobby.

 

Hm...that's a very interesting thought. To be honest, a bit of this is already happening. Just a few years ago, it was extremely difficult to attain dolls internationally, and not many sculpts and companies were available, not to mention buying clothing. (Not from personal experience, however). Now, there is an incredible amount of options, quite a few companies, stores all over the world.

I don't know...I suppose it would lose a bit of the charm, as it is still one of those more "obscure" hobbies, at the moment. Then again, I can see how it would be incredibly fun to have so many people enjoying this hobby, with more to contribute, and more elaborate options available.

I think the only way they truly would become mainstream, though, was if their prices dropped significantly. Let's face it; it takes a certain kind of person to justify spending about $600 on a doll.

 

I like the fact that although the hobby has been gathering attention steadily (with news articles, media clips, and shoots in fashion mags), it still very much remains a hobby that isn't mainstream. Even in Japan, I've got friends that have never heard of Super Dollfie!

I know it shouldn't matter, but I do think I'll be a bit upset if they were easily purchased at any store, and if it were to be the 'next big thing'. Granted, I'll be esctatic that there will be more stores stocking abjd related products, but part of the fun (for me anyway) of this hobby is the actual search/hunt for all the components that I need to make my dream dolls.

And I agree with SilverWinglie too, I'll tend to be more worried about my dolls being snatched/stolen if they got more popular. Now they're still just a cruriousity among non-bjd enthusiasts.

But ultimately, my dolls will always have that magic spell cast on me.

 

My thoughts exactly. I think I'd really enjoy it if more people knew about BJDs. There would actually be people other than my sisters that I could discuss them and have fun with.

 

Ever since I was born, I've always liked different things then your typical boy. And with ABJD, I love everything about them. I didn't get into the hobby just because it was underground-esque, but... it's friggen beautiful x D I think the alternative aspect of the hobby is sort of a perk in itself. If other people started to get really into it, and it became very mainstream, I would be kind of offended. Because by the time you know it, you'd be getting the wrong people into it, and then the hobbiest just become offensive to the hobby, ya know?​

 

It would only bother me if they became "the next big thing" do to someone who has high media status, and then everyone wants one because they have one =_= But other than that, I wouldn't mind^^ I would really like it if there were more people around my school who collected BJD's. I thought it would be cool to start a club, but I don't know if there would be enough people XD;;

 

I think I would probably still enjoy my own dolls that I already have, but would be less likely to pick up the new "more popular" models. To be honest, I already feel like BJDs are gaining a broader appeal among fashion doll people and so forth, and I don't care for most of the BJDs that are coming out seemingly to appeal to that mass audience. Most of the dolls I am interested in lately are limiteds like the Minimee heads or are coming out of smaller artist shops like AiL, K-doll, Migidoll and so forth.

 

hmmm I think that going main stream would indeed not be very good for the hobby, with all the mentioned: knock of's, bad dolls & dolls stealing it could involve.

but a few more people within the stil small hobby would be fun.

if they went main stream I would agree with bunnydots, I would probebly stop buying dolls that just come out to please the crowd.

 

Here comes the first of the "Cy-chan Patented Soap Box Speeches" ever to debut on DoA:

I just started getting into this hobby a month or two ago. Then again, the BJDs had always sparked my curiosity ever since my very first anime convention (Jacon 2007). Since I was more geared toward anime at first, I passed them by for a time.

Recently, my friend had mentioned them to me in passing. Next thing I knew, we were sharing links to the dolls we wanted and saying things like, "I'll never be able to afford this but I want it sooo bad!" Soon though, the "will never be able to afford" turned into "might be able to afford" and hopefully someday for me it will become "I have a BJD now and we're having sooo much fun!"

I believe that the novelty of this hobby is, in fact, the rarity and mystery of the hobbyists that enjoy it. Being a part of a secret club when you were a kid was fun, wasn't it? Now that you've grown the sparkle of being somebody "original" and "creative" has not faded. And it never will.

I would also say that the BJD hobby spreads more effectively by word of mouth than any other method. You could even say that if I were to keep my BJD somewhere where anyone visiting my apartment could see, I would have found myself a great conversation piece. And supposing I do talk with a visiting friend about BJDs and they are also inspired to purchase their own that just proves the fact that curiosity is the main factor in this type of hobby.

I do not think that I would have gotten into this "mysterious pastime" as I like to call it, had it been a fad already. I learned my lesson after the Tamagotchi fad crashed, burned and died a horrible, fiery death. I would rather not spend a lot of money on something that makes me "cooler" than Little Suzie down the lane. I'd prefer to spend that money on something I find to be "cool" in of itself.

Thus, I became a fan of the BJD.

*bows and steps down from the Soap Box*

 

I hate to tell you all but BJDs are already "the next big thing" in the doll world. Magazines are devoting more & more space to them, major companies are attempting their version of them & some companies are even using the phrase BJD to describe their otherwise highly articulated dolls.

People are curious. A friend & I have been asked to give programs on them to local doll clubs, there will be an article on them in this year's UFDC's convention program, BJD presentations are being done at at IDEX & EXPO. The future is here, at least in the general doll community. And it doesn't bother me one bit.

I'm enjoying the new found popularity of these dolls. Even though I'm not terribly fond of most of the American companies' offerings so far, I find it very interesting to see their awareness of how the popularity of BJDs is cutting into their bottom line. Also the collector base is widening & coming from several different areas within the doll collecting community. These dolls seem to attract not only anime/manga fans but fashion doll, artist doll & even antique doll collectors. There's an artistic quality to them that crosses many lines. And the way people collect differs as well.

Since I've never collected dolls just because they were popular, I'd continue to collect the ones I like whether they were the most popular or the most obscure. Even among our meet-up group, I have some rather different dolls as well as some of the more popular ones & I suppose it would remain the same for me no matter how popular the hobby becomes.

 

Love for BJD's is a special kind of character, not many people would be intersted in them even with lower price. What do you see? More companies with low prices and only a bit more people in this hobby. That's too special for a crowd
So, I think with time BJD will be more popular but without transform into Big Thing
And it make me feel more comfortable *smile* As you see, I'm not a big fan of crowds and big things ~_^

 

Big or small, I think I'd still like this hobby. I fell in love with the look of some dolls I saw, and been in this hobby for close to a year. The prices turned me off, but was drawn to them even with the high prices (to me anyway, except gaming things I'd never really spent more than $10 on a piece of clothing, and up to $40 or so for shoes in my life that I know of xD)
I think it wont get huge, though, because those who would be in it for the fad factor would mostly be turned off by the price, and those who get introduced to it by wider exposure, may get turned off by the price but stick around and fawn over them, that actually appreciate the dolls. It's rather win win to me. Unless people start making tons of cheap knock offs.
I'll still love my dolls, whether BJDs are big or fade into obscurity completely, I enjoy the pictures, and I'm sure when I get my girl I'll love her to bits.

 

I cannot tell a lie: If I saw MTV Spring Break covering a Kyoto Dolpa, I would throw such a tantrum.

(Hey, if it can happen to Burning Man...)

 

Huh, I had a similar thought - If they ever took a picture of Paris Hilton holding a BJD .... Oh, yikes, what a horrible idea that is. I hate the idea of it becoming a media frenzied fad. There really is something special (at least for me) about about the fantasy world of BJD, and I think it being mass marketed would really spoil the appeal.

 

hahaha ! i agree ! (this is so funny. xDD)

 

Okay I have to admit, I'd avoid any doll Paris Hilton or Britney Spears would own..

 

I love my dolls. My love for bjds is not dependent on what other people are doing or how many are doing it.

 

I agree with the whole "mysterious pasttime" thing. The BJD world is like a mini-world unto itself, with so many people around the world getting together because they have something in common. If it became the next Big Thing, undoubtedly a lot of the sense of community would be lost.

I'd also be very ticked off if BJDs became the next media target. To be honest, my pride would be hurt....I'd hate for people to think I own a BJD just because everyone else has one. That kind of thought has put me off styles I like before (like that time when everyone wore "punk" clothes and black lace, I nearly cried in despair. Or when people wear odd earrings...I maintain that I'm the one who started the whole mismatched earring craze in high school. ) I even feel a bit ashamed pulling out my iPod in public, as I don't like people thinking I have one because everyone else does too (it's actually my cousin's old one! Not my fault!) It wouldn't make me love my dolls less, but I'd be less willing to show them off.