If you could tell your past self something what would it be?

{laugh!} Mine would be nothing to do with dolls.

Teddy

 

Same, I would tell my past self so many things, but I don't really have that much regret that is doll-related. (Mine would be study-related or family-related

I mean, I could tell my past self to go less crazy on the props on Etsy, take the time to learn about taobao or to avoid this or that article, but apart from saving a bit of money or getting one specific prop, there would not have been many changes to my collection (which admittedly is pretty small).

Well, I only have been in the hobby for a year, that's not very long. I have plenty of time to make mistakes. XD

 

"Buy that doll, because it will never pop up on the second hand market and there are only two persons (known) who got the doll and prolly will never sell it"

 

I'd tell myself to join den of angels sooner. I think meeting other people that are into the hobby has made my experience with BJDs better than any new doll could have.

I was really into Sims machinimas growing up which influenced me to study animation in college, but all the directors I loved are gone and I was too shy to talk to other sims people. Machinima has also changed a lot in a way that's hard to relate to now for me. And with my injury, I can't film my own machinimas. I tried joing a contest board and a discord, but it just made me feel lonely.

With BJDs, I feel like now I can finally enjoy myself with other people in a shared passion that doesn't have to be directly through something I created. I fell a part in college under my own high expectations, so I'm trying to rebuild my relationship with my own art. Dolls are a form of self expression that doesn't have to be my career or reflection of my skill. And it's niche in a way that feels private yet connected. I feel less lonely while also less on display for others.

I'd also tell myself to buy patterns; making my own patterns when I don't really know how to sew made me quit for a half a year. But I'm back in the saddle now!

 

Probably to not buy certain dolls ("You won't like them/later a better one will come around/the project will go nowhere") OR to buy certain dolls because getting them second hand will be painful or downright impossible.

But I probably would tell myself to not go for dolls and instead keep on drawing, or at least never stop drawing. Because now, years later, I wish I could draw and didn't have to commission art all the time
And being able to paint dolls well is a useless skill for me nowadays.

 

I have no real doll wisdom worth going back in time for, now other things sure maybe, but not dolls stuff.

 

You misunderstood me - I wouldn't warn myself off dolls. I meant just that any warning I would give my past self wouldn't have been on the subject of dolls at all.

It would be to check the front seam of my leggings before running down the escalator in the London Underground and save myself the mortification of having full-frontal-flashed every person travelling up on the adjoining escalator, when the seam gave way and gaped open from waist to crotch. It's no wonder I saw so many startled expressions as I flew past on my way down to platform level.

Teddy

 

I actually edited my post before your reply, because I realized I had misread it

 

If related to BJD: the rabbit hole is really, really deep.

 

You know, I'm not entirely sure. Part of me says, don't let myself go on that three year doll hiatus-- because who knows where I would be right now, collection and friend-wise had I not taken that hiatus! Then again... I'm happy with my collection and its current rate of growth, and happy with the dolly friends I've made (though there's always room for more!)

Oh-- And maybe don't go for the Iplehouse EID Bichun, but the FID Bichun instead? He's modded now, it's too late to turn back now

 

I would tell myself that this is a great hobby that I will enjoy for years, but I have to be careful with what I buy as I will find some companies not worth my time or money. I would tell myself concentrate on Dollstown, keep those even if I don't bond now I would bond later and never sell my Irrealdoll Nur, even though I got one again it is a very special doll and having twins would have been so much better.

 

Mine wouldn’t be dolls either but if it was, it would be that I cannot make everything and I certainly cannot make everything perfectly the first time around with minimal referencing off five minutes of internet browsing. Don’t put so much pressure on myself and actually buy something for my dolls so it’s not so stressful. It’s not “giving up” it’s being smart and prioritizing so I don’t get burnt out.

 

DON'T BUY FROM DOLLSHE. DO NOT DO IT. IT WILL BE YOUR ONLY DOLL PURCHASE REGRET. YOU WILL WAIT FOR YEARS AND IT WILL PISS YOU OFF WAY MORE THAN ANY HOBBY PURCHASE EVER SHOULD.


Other than that I don't have many doll regrets, to be honest. I'm with Teddy on this--- most of what I'd really want to go back and tell my past self wouldn't have to do with dolls. Aside from the stupid Dollshe crap, I'm happy with all my doll purchases and very much enjoying my hobby 8 years in.

I guess one tip I might leave for my former doll self is: eye sizes don't correspond to doll sizes, just because a doll is 1:3/SD doesn't mean they automatically get 16mm eyes. For some reason I thought when I first started that it worked that way, where SD got 16mm eyes, MSD got 14mm eyes, and tinies got 12mm. My first doll was an Elfdoll Rita and she looked so creepy and dead-eyed in the enormous, plasticky 16mm Glib acrylics I bought for her. You could barely see any of the whites at all...because she has tiny eyeholes and literally needs a 12mm eye. I mean, I figured it out-- but my first doll could have looked a lot prettier right from the start had I known How To Eyeball.

I might also tell myself to not even bother buying alpaca when I started wigmaking-- because it turns out I deeply hate working with it. And that it's a waste of (SO MUCH) time to make a whole rooted/ventilated wig, it comes out too thick and looks puffy and you can get the same realistic look around the part by just rooting it there instead of spending a million hours rooting the whole wigcap....

But mostly, it would be STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM DOLLSHE

 

Oh goodness not too many doll regrets...I suppose I would tell myself to not impulse buy so much. I have some wigs, some outfits, and now at least one doll that just don't work for the collection I have.

I might also tell myself I can only buy X amount of dolls. I never thought I would have 10 dolls. Now I am close to 30.

Also would have asked Asleep Eidolon how to best clean the face of the doll I am selling because part of her face up came off...but then she would still be dirty.

 

I would tell myself to go ahead and buy that limited fullset that I really liked, but was too nervous about buying due to the $$$. At the time, I was a new-grad with a new job, and felt nervous about any big purchases. I know now in hindsight that I would’ve been fine if I bought it, but I completely understand that my past-self was just trying to be responsible.

I also would’ve told my past-self to buy more of those super cute and very detailed pastel Lati outfits while they were still popular! I only bought one, and wish I had more. Now everything on Etsy is mori-styled, which is nice, but not the style I want.

And of course, like everyone else, there are a few clothing items and wigs that didn’t work out for my dolls. It would’ve been nice to not have wasted the time and money on them, but it’s not a huge loss.

 

I don't have any doll regrets yet... I think I haven't been in the hobby long enough.

 

I would tell my past self to not buy so many d*mn dolls! Though I suspect I wouldn't have listened...

 

"Stop trying to force yourself to love SD sized dolls, they are beautiful but way too big for you to handle!" (This would have saved me years of constant buying and selling of Soom dolls because I loved the animal hybrids and designs..)

"You may not think cohesion aesthetic is important now, but it will really irk you later" As I've slowed down buying and am trying to redirect into perfecting dolls and characters this has become a big deal for me, and rather than having lots of different 'storylines' by look and size I've decided to prune my collection instead to one unified look (fairyland) with a few artist doll exceptions.. this has also curbed spending because I'm admiring dolls from other companies but it's easy to avoid purchasing them now. This is my current "wisdom" after discovering bjd 10+ years ago, but who knows what I will say in another 10

 

"Don't buy anything just because it's cheap. Buy it because you actually like and want it."

Lower prices are a good thing if you actually want the thing, and the quality meets your standards. Lower prices are bad when you're just settling on it and the quality is really bad. Reselling those things likely won't get you half what you paid for them. All that wasted money really adds up and by the time you buy several cheap things you don't love, you could have paid for the one you really wanted in the first place. It kind of sickens me to think about how much money I've wasted in this hobby on things I didn't love.